The present invention relates to a guide vane arrangement for a turbomachine, particularly a gas turbine, as well as a gas turbine, particularly an aircraft engine gas turbine, with one or more of such guide vane arrangements.
Guide vane arrangements particularly in aircraft engine gas turbines are subjected to high thermal loads. Therefore, it is known from internal operating practices to provide cooling slits in the rear radial flange of external shroud bands of such guide vane arrangements, through which cooling air flows when in operation to cool the guide vane arrangements and/or a housing, in which these are arranged.
Such cooling slits represent a possible source of component cracks.
An object of an embodiment of the present invention is to provide an improved turbomachine, particularly an improved gas turbine.
According to an aspect of the present invention, a gas turbine, particularly an aircraft engine gas turbine, has one or more compressors and/or turbine stages, particularly low-pressure compressors and/or turbine stages, each having a guide vane arrangement.
A guide vane arrangement has, according to an aspect of the present invention, a single- or multi-section external shroud band, from which two or more guide vanes protrude radially inward. The guide vanes may be connected detachably or permanently to the external shroud band, in particular produced integrally with it or connected to it in a firmly bonded, particularly welded, manner.
In an embodiment, the external shroud band has, in particular at least an essentially conical circumferential surface and at least a radial flange, particularly a rear radial flange in the flow direction and/or a front radial flange in the flow direction. In an embodiment, the guide vane arrangement is connected, particularly in a detachable and/or form-locking manner, by means of at least one radial flange, particularly by a rear radial flange and/or a front radial flange, to a housing or preferably hung into it.
In an embodiment, seen in the peripheral direction, there is arranged between at least one pair of adjoining guide vanes—in an enhanced embodiment between all guide vanes of the guide vane arrangement—a pair of axial ribs which are spaced apart from each other in the peripheral direction and protrude from the circumferential surface of the external shroud band radially outward or to the side facing away from the guide vanes. Additionally or alternatively, the axial ribs of at least one, particularly the rear and/or front, radial flange of the external shroud band may protrude axially toward the circumferential surface. In an embodiment, the axial ribs are connected in a firmly bonded manner to the circumferential surface and/or at least one, particularly a rear and/or a front, radial flange.
By means of the axial ribs, possible crack propagation in an embodiment can be advantageously controlled between the axial ribs and thus limited to a certain region of the exterior platform. In particular, in an enhanced embodiment, crack propagation in a region in which a guide vane is arranged can be impeded, preferably stopped, and thus be directed to regions more favorable for this.
In an embodiment, a radial flange, particularly a rear one, has one or more recesses. These may be formed particularly in a slit-type manner and/or be produced by electrical discharge machining (EDM) and/or extend at least essentially in a radial direction, particularly out from a radial external border of the radial flange. In an embodiment, they are intended or constructed, as the case may be, for being passed through by a cooling fluid, particularly cooling air.
As explained in the introduction, such recesses, particularly radial inner ends of slit-type recesses, form incipient crack locations favored as a result of the notch effect.
Therefore in an embodiment, the axial ribs of an axial rib pair of adjoining axial ribs extend radially outward at least to a radially inner end of a recess, particularly a cooling slit, in a radial flange, particularly a rear one. In an embodiment, they are, when seen in a peripheral direction, arranged on both sides of the recess or the recess is arranged in the peripheral direction between the two adjoining axial ribs of an axial rib pair. In this way, possible crack propagation in an embodiment can be limited already at its source between the axial ribs and be directed by these to the radial flange and further into the circumferential surface.
In an embodiment, the axial ribs are at least essentially designed in an L-shape, wherein an arm is connected in a firmly bonded manner with the radial flange and the other arm is connected in a firmly bonded manner to the circumferential surface. In this way, possible crack propagation in an embodiment can be directed, particularly limited, both in the radial flange as well as in the circumferential surface with the least possible material cost. The arm connected to the radial flange, as explained above, may extend, particularly in a radial manner, outward at least to a radially inner end of a recess. Such an axial rib thus extends only in the region of the radial flange radially outward at least to the radial inner end. Similarly, an axial rib, seen in the peripheral direction, may also be designed for example, in a triangular, rectangular, U-shaped, or similar manner.
In an embodiment, the axial ribs extend or run at least essentially in an axial direction. Similarly, they may form an angle to the axial direction or a rotational axis of the turbomachine, which corresponds in an embodiment to a stagger angle of the guide vanes. For a more compact description, such diagonal ribs are also referred to as axial ribs within the meaning of the present invention. Axial ribs may run or axially extend in a straight or curved manner. Generally, in an embodiment, the axial ribs may be equally distant, at least generally, to the adjoining guide vanes in the peripheral direction. In particular, there may be a minimal clearance in the peripheral direction between an axial rib of an axial rib pair and the guide vane adjoining it that is at least essentially equal to the minimum clearance in the peripheral direction between the other axial rib of this axial rib pair and the guide vane adjoining it.
The axial ribs may extend in an embodiment from a rear to a front radial flange. In another embodiment, the axial ribs, particularly originating from a rear radial flange, end axially in front of another radial flange, particularly a front one. It has been shown that as a result of this, conventional cracks can be sufficiently controlled and the cost of materials can be minimized as well.
In an embodiment, the axial ribs are connected to the circumferential surface and/or the radial flange in a fillet. This can impede a crack from crossing over the ribs.
In an embodiment, the circumferential surface in the peripheral direction between the axial ribs is sunken in radially inwards. In this way, a possible crack can also be directed between the axial rib pair. Similarly, in an embodiment, the circumferential surface can be raised radially outwards in a peripheral direction between the axial ribs, particularly thickened between the axial ribs, to impede a crack from progressing. Particularly outside of the axial rib pairs—and in an enhanced embodiment, also between the axial rib pairs—the circumferential surface between the axial rib pairs can have at least essentially the same wall thickness as the radial flange.
In an embodiment, the axial ribs can be produced separately and subsequently be connected in a firmly bonded manner, welded in particular, to the circumferential surface and/or the radial flange. Similarly, they may be produced by deposition welding or be gauged to the circumferential surface and/or the radial flange.
Additional advantageous developments of the present invention emerge from the following description of the preferred embodiments. To this end, appearing in a partially schematized manner, are drawings.